New Philadelphia opens a path to wellness

The Pathway to Wellness home, for men battling addiction, is expected to open this month, according to Jack Ream, president of the board for Friends of the Homeless of Tuscarawas County.

By Nancy Schaar

Times Reporter

By Nancy Schaar

Posted Nov. 17, 2012 at 12:01 AM
Updated Nov 17, 2012 at 5:03 PM

By Nancy Schaar

Posted Nov. 17, 2012 at 12:01 AM
Updated Nov 17, 2012 at 5:03 PM

NEW PHILADELPHIA

The Pathway to Wellness home, for men battling addiction, is expected to open this month, according to Jack Ream, president of the board for Friends of the Homeless of Tuscarawas County.

The idea for Pathway came about two years ago as members of Friends of the Homeless realized there was no place in Tuscarawas County for men with addiction problems.

At the time, about 75 percent of the homeless had substance-abuse issues, Ream said. Calvin White, director of Friends of the Homeless, said that has changed to about 50 percent of the homeless they now help.

“I contacted Dr. Mark Welty and we were both very concerned about it. There was no place for men to get help — or to recover,” he said.

Most insurance companies pay for 28 days of treatment — and that just isn’t long enough. White said that most men battling addiction issues need six months to a year in recovery.

“They need more than a couple of weeks. They need to learn how to look at everything in their lives differently and make many changes, and learn to live with those changes,” Ream added.

The new Pathway home was donated by Dr. Hasmukh H. Shah and is located at 119 Second St. NE, in New Philadelphia.

“We didn’t ask, we didn’t even tell anyone we were ready for that step. Dr. Shah just said, ‘I want to give you my house,’ ” Ream explained.

Shah used the house for his medical office for many years.

The new home is undergoing renovations — thanks to the donated labor of Paul Miller of Habitat for Humanity and other volunteers. Ream said Miller is donating his time to renovate the bathroom, put in a laundry room and kitchen — and more.

Dr. Welty, of the heath department’s Alcohol Addiction program, said their goal is to house five or six men at a time for six to nine months so they can make a complete recovery from addiction. The home will be staffed with professionals, some shared through the homeless shelter. It will be an alcohol-and-substance-free place for the men to live.

Welty, who also is on the homeless shelter board, said that Pathway is a grassroots project.

“Four years ago, I made a friendship with Jack (Ream), and we decided the community needed a place for men like Harbor House is for women — for substance recovery,” said Welty. “We didn’t have the money to do what was needed but we had faith that it would all work out. Jack has a faith-based perspective.”

Tonight, the Autumn Odyssey will help fund such programs. The Odyssey is in its second year, and Welty said they hope to raise a significant amount of money to help them operate for at least a year. White said it would be ideal to be locally and independently funded.

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“Right now, we need cash. We need funding to get these doors open and help people,” said White.

Ream agreed.

“Locally, we can solve problems for a fraction of government money,” Ream said. “The people in the community always step forward when they know there is a need. The people in this community are ready to help where it is needed and have been very generous.”